Counting-board.



-N0. 888,425. PATENTED MAY 19, 1908. T. S. FORD.

COUNTING BOARD. uruonxon FILED 001. 2o, 1soa. RENEWED MAR. 7, me.

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A froze/v5 VS No. 888,425. PATENTED MAY 19, 1908. T. 8. FORD.

COUNTING BOARD.

APlLIUATION TILED OCT. 20, 1908. RENEWED MAR. 7, 190B.

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No. 888,425. PATENTED MAY 19,1908. T. S. FORD.

COUNTING BOARD.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 20, 1908. RENEWED MAB. 1, 1908.

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TRACE S. FORD, OF MARSHALLTOWN, IOWA.

COUNTING-BOARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 19, 1908.

Application filed' October 20, 1906, Serial No. 339,860. Renewed March7, 1908. Serial No. 419,767.

Be it known that I, TRACE S. Form, a citi- Zen of the United States,residing at Marshalltown, in the county of Marshall and State of Iowa,have invented a new and useful Counting-Board, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to counting boards which are adapted particularlyfor use in cribbage and similar card games.

The object of the invention is to improve the construction of countingboards in such manner as to adapt them to be used for holding aplurality of sets or hands of cards, whereby, after a number of handshave been played by one of the players, they can be played a second timeby another of the players, thus reducing to a minimum the element ofchance due to the holding by one player of bettercards than those heldby the other.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the reciseembodiment of invention herein disc osed can be made within the scope ofthe following claims without departing from the spirit of the inventionor sacrificing any of its advantages.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification :Figure1 is a perspective view of a counting board constructed in accordancewith the present invention and ada ted for use in playing a game such asdup icate cribbage; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section throughone-half of the board illustrated in Fig. 1 Fig. 3 is a plan view of aslightly modified construction in which the board is rigid and is notadapted to fold as is the case in the construction shown in Fig. 1 Fig.4 is a perspective view of a modified form of folding board; Fig. 5 is alongitudinal vertical section through one side of the board illustratedin Fig. 4 3 Fig. 6 is a plan view of a modified form of rigid ornon-folding counting board; Fig. 7 is a perspective view of anothermodified form of folding board; Fig. 8 is a longitudinal verticalsection through one-half of the board illustrated in Fig. 7; Fig. 9' isa plan view of another modified form of rigid or non-folding board. Fig.10 is a perspective view of another modified form of folding board. Fig.11 is a plan I belonging to the dealer.

view of a further modilied'form of rigid board. Fig. 12 is alongitudinal sectional view taken on the line 12 12 of Fig. 1].

Like reference numerals indicate corresponding parts in the differentfigures of the drawings.

In carrying out the present invention, it is proposed to provide acounting board with means for holding a plurality of sets or hands ofcards in inclined position so that their faces cannot be seen, andseparated from each other in such manner that they can be readilyremoved from the board without mixing one hand with another. At the endof each deal, after the hands have been played in the usual manner, eachplayer places his cards, face downward, in an inclined position, in thecounting board. The difierent trump cards are also placed in an inclinedposition in one or more compartments which are provided for the purpose.At the end of the first portion of the game, when all the hands havebeen played and placed in the counting board, the players either reversethe counting board or otherwise remove the cards, one set at a time, sothat each player will use the hands which have been previously playedbyhis opponent.

In the embodiment of invention illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, thecounting board consists of a plurality of sections 1, 1, which arehinged together, as indicated at 2'. The sec tions 1 are formed in theirinner faces with recesses such as 3 which are adapted to receive thecards when the board is closed. Each of the sections 1, in the outerface thereof, is formed with a plurality of sockets 4 which are adaptedto receive the counting pegs in a well-known manner.

The means for holding a plurality of sets or hands of cards in aninclined position and separated from each other preferably consists of aplurality of inclined slots 5 which extend inward from the outer surfaceof each section 1 and are produced by means of suitable partitionso.

In playing a game such as cribbage, etc, one of the players uses onesection of the board and the other of the players uses the other sectionof the board. After the hands have been played, the players place thecards, face dowmvard, in the inclined slots 5. The trump card, aftereach play, is placed face downward in the trump slot 7 at the end of thesection of the counting board A door 8 for each trump slot 7 preferablyis pivotally mounted, as indicated at 9, so that when the counting boardis not in use, the counting pegs can be placed in the trump slot and thedoor closed. After the desired number of hands have been played, thecounting board is turned around and each player then plays the handswhich were previously played by his opponent, at the same time using thetrump cards by removing thebottom card.

The slots 5, by holding the cards on an incline, serve to prevent thefaces thereof from being seen, and the partitions 6, by separating thedifferent hands from each other, permit the cards to be readilywithdrawn without causing them to become mixed.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Fig. 3, the board isrigid or nonfolding, and the sets of inclined slots 10 for the differentplayers are separated from each other by a longitudinal partition 11,and furthermore, only a single trump slot 12 is provided for the use ofboth players, said slot having a door 13. In other respects, thecounting board is constructed in the same manner as that illustrated inFig. 1.

The modified construction illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 is the same asthat illustrated in Fig. 1, except that the partitions 6 are dispensedwith and the cards are held in inclined position by means oftransverssly-extending rods 14 which are fitted at their ends intosuitable grooves formed in the counting board and are held in saidgrooves by means of retaining plates 15. It will be obvious that when ahanc of cards is fitted down between two of the rods 14, one of saidrods will rest against the under surface of the cards and the other ofsaid rods will rest against the upper surface thereof and will thus holdsaid cards in inclined position with their faces downward so as not tobe exptsed to view.

The modified construction illustrated in Fig. 6 is practically the sameas that illustrated in Fig. 4, except that the counting board isnon-folding and a longitudinal partition 16 is employed for bracing thecentral portions of the rods 14 and for dividing the board into two setsof compartments to receive the cards of the different players.

In the construction illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8, the means for holdingthe cards in inclined position preferably comprises a plurality of ribs17 which are provided in each section of the counting board. Each of theribs 17 is formed with a straight face 1.8 and an inclined face 19.Secured against the outer surface of each section of the counting boardis a plate 20 having slots 21 adapted to receive the different sets ofcards so as to press them against the inclined surfaces 19 of the ribs17 and thus hold them in proper position. The trump slot 22 is undercut,as indicated at 23, in such manner as to hold the flLlll'lP-Cttl'tlS inan inclined position and extending in a direction opposite the othercards.

The construction illustrated in Fig. 9 is the same as that illustratedin Figs. 7 and 8, ex

cept that the board is non-folding and only one trump slot is employed.

In Fig. 10 of the drawings there is illustrated a modified form offolding board in which the top of the board is formed with a recesscovered by a metal plate 25, said plate being formed with spaced slots26 the walls of which are bent downwardly to produce inclined partitionsor slats 27 adapted to support the different sets or hands of cards ininclined position. The plate is also formed with an opening 28 havingone wall thereof inclined in the opposite direction or towards the baseof the adjacent partition 27 for supporting the trump cards in reverseinclined position. i

in Figs. 11 and 12 the board is similar in construction to the boardshown in Fig. 10 only the former is rigid or non-folding, both sets ofslots 26 and partitions 27 being stamped out of a single plate or stripof metal, as shown.

While the counting board is principally designed for playing cribbage itis obvious that the same with certain minor variations may be used withequally good results when playing other games of cards.

The improved counting board of the present invention is strong, simple,durable and inexpensive in construction as well as thoroughly eflicientin use.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

1. A counting board including a receptacle having means for holding aplurality of sets or hands of cards in parallel relation and in inclinedposition with the sets separated from each other, and means independentof the card holding means and disposed in advance of and arranged inalinement with said card-holding means for supporting a card or cards insynclinal relation to the several sets of cards.

2. A counting board including a substantially rectangular frame havingparallel side walls connected by end walls, means interposed between theside Walls and forming independent compartments for holding a pluralityof sets or hands of cards in the same inclined position, and meansspaced inwardly from one end of the frame and independent of the meansfor holding the several sets or hands of cards and in alinementtherewith for supporting a card or cards in synclinal relation to theseveral sets.

3. A counting board comprising a plurality of pivotally united sectionseach formed of spaced inclined slats defining slots for receiving andholding a plurality of sets or hands of cards in inclined position,there being an opening formed in each section for holding othercards ininclined position.

4. A counting board comprising a pair of pivotally united hollowsections adapted to receive playing cards, said sections being providedwith spaced transversely disposed inclined slats defining slots for themception oi the sets or hands of cards, there being a slot formed in oneend of each section and having one wall thereof inclined laterally forholding other cards in inclined position.

5. A counting board comprising a pair of pivotally united sections eachprovided with spaced transversely disposed inclined slats defining slotsadapted to receive a plurality of sets or hands of cards, there being atrans verse opening formed in one end of each section for holding othercards in inclined posi tion.

6. A counting board comprising pivotally united sections having chambersformed therein and adapted to register with each other for supportingplaying cards, said sections being provided with spaced transverselydisposed inclined slats defining a tion, and a cover pivotally mountedin each section for closing the last named slot.

7. A counting board comprising a l'rame the side bars ol' which areprovlded with spaced inclined recesses, slats seated in said recessesand extending transversely across the .lramc and de'lining' slots forthe reception of a plurality ol" sets or hands of cards, there being anopening lormed in one end of the frame and having one wall thereofinclined towards the base ol the slots for supporting other cards inreverse inclined position Yln testimony that I claim the foregoing as myown, I have hereto allixed my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

TRACE S. FORD.

\Yitnesses:

J. M. nrriuina, H. O. MionAnLs.

